Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - Trying a 40 day water fast, does anyone have any experience?

Lioness · 08-19-2009, 08:57 PM

I went on a 30-day water-only fast as a teenager. I felt sick, weak, light-headed, and obsessed with food, dreaming of the day I could eat again.
I lost about 15 pounds, but gained it back immediately, and then some. Unfortunately, your appetite rebounds to its normal level when you start to eat again, and if you're a binge-eater, fasting only exacerbates this. I'm still recovering from the binge-starve yo-yo merry-go-round.

When you fast, your body goes into starvation-mode and holds on to fat stores, slows down your metabolism, and uses your muscle protein for energy. The less muscle mass you have, the less calories your body burns on a daily basis, long after the fast is over. So you wind up with a higher pertentage of bodyfat than when you started, a slower metabolism, and you are set-up for regaining even more weight both physiologically and psychologically.

IMO, you have to make a lifestyle change, there is no quick-fix. Someone here previously recommended a website that really helps; normaleating.com.

08-19-2009, 08:57 PM	#60 (permalink)
Lioness Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 464	It doesn't work for weight loss I went on a 30-day water-only fast as a teenager. I felt sick, weak, light-headed, and obsessed with food, dreaming of the day I could eat again. I lost about 15 pounds, but gained it back immediately, and then some. Unfortunately, your appetite rebounds to its normal level when you start to eat again, and if you're a binge-eater, fasting only exacerbates this. I'm still recovering from the binge-starve yo-yo merry-go-round. When you fast, your body goes into starvation-mode and holds on to fat stores, slows down your metabolism, and uses your muscle protein for energy. The less muscle mass you have, the less calories your body burns on a daily basis, long after the fast is over. So you wind up with a higher pertentage of bodyfat than when you started, a slower metabolism, and you are set-up for regaining even more weight both physiologically and psychologically. IMO, you have to make a lifestyle change, there is no quick-fix. Someone here previously recommended a website that really helps; normaleating.com.